Partial coherence tomography (PCT) is a recently developed non-intrusive method of topographically profiling the optic nerve head, as well as tomographically measuring the nerve layer. This procedure can improve early diagnosis of glaucoma. Physical Optics Corporation proposes to enhance PCT by using a Bessel microbeam (BMB) probe beam to improve both the spatial resolution (by about 200 times over current PCT) and speed (by eliminating objective lens scanning in PCT). Based on preliminary results, the BMB is insensitive to eye movement, significantly improving the accuracy of retinal tomography. The proposed BMB technology can be applied to biomedical imaging and industrial inspection instruments. Because of its low cost and flexibility, its commercial potential is extremely high. In Phase I of this project, POC will investigate a number of Bessel beam phase shaping options and optimize the phase shaping design for ophthalmoscopes. High resolution and insensitivity to eye movement will be demonstrated. Proposed commercial applications: Compactness, low cost, and ease of integration with existing imaging systems make the proposed component broadly useful in high-resolution imaging. Commercial applications include direct writing lithography, microbeam semiconductor material processing, and medical imaging.